Ladies get 2013 off to a winning start

Having wintered well Phoenix ladies were together again for the first fixture of the 2013 season. Graham Mooney took on the task of umpiring with grey eminences Brown and Ensor offering support. In her third year of captaincy Kate Voice won the first toss of the season and chose to field first.

The opening batswomen Gray and Cook looked comfortable against Fahy and Kelada but Adil took a debut wicket to remove Cook and her second over was a wicket maiden with the dangerous Gray out for 22. Orla Martin and Sarah Moore were steady but in their second spells of one over each Adil and Kelada both took a wicket to leave Trinity on 61 for 4. There followed a good stand by Kingston and Roberts with Phoenix perhaps regretting a few dropped catches over the course of the innings. The innings closed on 107 for 4 with 78 runs coming off the bat and Phoenix conceding 29 in extras.

The Phoenix innings struggled for early momentum with Lisa Kelly being bowled in the second over, Adil run out without facing a legitimate delivery and Vanessa Kelada making just one before she too was run out. Finally Orla Martin found an adhesive partner in Hannah McGuckin and their stand of 38 brought some respectability to the scoreboard although Phoenix still had a lot to do when Caird arrived at the crease in the fading light after Martin was bowled by Gray for 17 and Moore fell to Crockford for 2.

Caird’s innings of 18 from 16 balls almost finished the match in Phoenix’s favour but she was out with 5 still needed. McIntosh was on strike for four deliveries with three of these being signalled wide and that may be what Trinity need to work on for the return fixture. Phoenix reached 108 for 5 with 60 runs off the bat and 48 coming in extras.

Lady of the Match: A good team effort by Phoenix to defeat a good batting side. Captain Voice will have been pleased with the performances on debut of Adil Jannat and Sarah Moore and still has to slot Karinda Tolland, Emer Bell and Mary Curley and perhaps others back into the team.